Dark Days
by Jazz03
Summary: When all hope seems lost, Jane loses the will to keep waiting for Thor, Thor can't find his way out of depression, and help comes from an unexpected person.  Inspired by "Patience". Follows other characters than Thor and Jane as well.
1. Chapter 1

The point of view changes throughout the story, so I put a name at the beginning of each section for whose POV it is.

**Chapter 1**

_I thought I stronger than this. I thought I could wait forever for him. But I guess I wasn't good enough for him... not worth at least a sign that he'd forgotten me... not worth anything at all._

**Darcy**

"Jane! Jane! Where did that girl go?" I shouted. "Jane, you could at least say something to me now, since you don't answer my calls anymore!" The only people who kept in touch with Jane were myself and Erik, but neither of us had been able to contact her for awhile. I was worried about my friend, so work will have to wait until I know she's okay.

I came to New Mexico expecting to find to find Jane simply too busy to answer our calls, but what I found was much worse. The house was a complete disaster. Computer cords were strewn about on the floor, empty soda cans overflowed from the trash can, and dirty dishes filled not only the sink but the counters and tables as well. While Jane had never been one to keep her home in perfect condition she would never have left it in such disarray. At least not the Jane I remembered.

Jane had spent the last two years waiting for Thor. Erik and I decided that it was hopeless and left to find work, but Jane simply said goodbye to us and continued waiting for when he'd return. I really did want to stay; it just seemed so pointless at that point.

I couldn't seem to find her anywhere and every room was in complete disarray. I started to panic when all my shouts were going unanswered.

"Jane, are you okay? Please, Jane, say something!" I yelled as I frantically went from room to room trying to find her. When I finally reached her room I stumbled upon an empty bottle of sleeping pills. What I found nearly stopped my heart.

_Dammit! Why didn't I notice before. I should have stayed with her. I could have prevented this..._

**Sif**

"There he is again in the garden. Looks like he's been drinking again." I told Fandral as we passed the entrance to the beautiful garden that Frigga tended to in her spare time.

"Do you think we should try to cheer him up?" Fandral asked, halfheartedly. We both knew it wouldn't work. Walking over to him I couldn't help but notice how dazzling the flowers were. They were arranged in such elegant and marvelous patterns that I had to force myself to keep walking rather than stop to take in the sight. It all was so perfect, aside from the empty pitchers that littered the grounds and the hopeless man that sat in the single dark corner of garden.

"Hey Thor... You alright?" I asked with concern. He didn't bother saying how he felt. He just gave us a somber glance and returned to his brooding.

"Maybe instead of sulking you should focus on something else. Do you want to spar with us?"

"I can't... I can't stop thinking about her..." He muttered in reply. "Just leave me alone..."

It had been like this for the past two months. At first, when Bifrost was destroyed, he seemed fine, willing to wait for Jane till the end of time, but he knows that humans don't live as long as Asgardians and that Jane may die before he sees her again. With every passing month he got worse and worse. It's gotten to the point where he's either depressed and on the verge of crying or passed out from drinking too much. Thor was a completely different person now. He's given up on hope. We tried on several occasion to lift his spirits, but it seemed like he'd be this way forever.

"Don't push him too hard." Fandral whispered to me, making sure I didn't go too far. I can't stand it when people complain and do nothing about it. I held back all the scolding that was about to burst forth, and took a deep breath.

"Fine..." I said with a hint of irritation. I didn't want to be mean, but this was no way for a son of Odin to act. He should be busy helping his people or at least doing something, rather than cry all day. Without a word Fandral and I left Thor in the garden. He didn't even notice us leave.

_I want to help, but what can I do?_

**Erik**

"Is she alright doctor?"

"She's stable, but she's lucky that she was found before it was too late."

"Thank you, can we see her?"

"Of course." She answered, looking sadly at Darcy whose eyes were red from crying for the last few hours.

Darcy had called me and told me what happened. I still can't believe Jane would do this. She was always so confidant and independent. The last two years really did a number on her.

"Oh god, Jane... I'm so sorry I let you did this..." Darcy had immediately pulled a chair to the bedside and began to apologize to Jane for being a terrible friend. It pained me to see her so distraught. She usually was full of quirky comments and sarcasm, but she lost all that when she nearly lost her dear friend.

Jane couldn't respond. She was asleep, just like she had been since Darcy found her. She looked so peaceful and her skin was cold. She seemed dead, aside from the faint movement of her chest as she breathed. It was hardly noticeable, but it was comforting to know that she was okay. At least physically okay. I can't imagine what was going on in her mind for the last few months.

"There was nothing you could have done to stop this, Darcy. It isn't your fault" I sympathetically said to no avail. I attempted to comfort her many times, but she refused to accept that anyone but herself was to blame.

"But if I hadn't left her this wouldn't have happened. I would've stopped her. This is all my fault. I'm such an awful friend." Nothing I could say would sway her.

"I left too, Darcy. At least let me share some of the blame with you." The very least I could do was take away some of the burden. If her logic stood than I was just as much to blame as she.

"Thanks Erik. You're a good friend." She said, with a short-lived smile.

I offered to take her out to eat something for dinner, but she said she'd rather stay by Jane's side. I didn't want her to starve, so I headed out to my rental car to get some burgers for dinner and some snacks as well. I figured we'd be staying at the hospital for the night.

_Darcy seems so hurt. I hope both of those girls can recover..._

**Sif**

Heimdall approached me as I walked the dark halls alone, aimlessly, unable to sleep. I've been having trouble sleeping for the last two years. I guess I just worry too much about my friends.

"Hello Heimdall, it's strange seeing you here." He hardly ever left Bifrost.

"I came to tell Thor news of Jane, but I felt that it was for the best that I kept the information away from him. I spoke with Odin about it instead. I was just on my way back." He said with a melancholy air about him.

"What happened? Is she hurt?"

He took a deep breath as if he was carefully choosing the words he'd use. "It seems she's lost her will to live. She came close to taking her own life yesterday." He responded grimly.

"I...I see... I'll be sure not to tell Thor of this." I replied.

"That's seems to be the wisest choice for now." As he said goodbye and returned to Bifrost, Heimdall gave me a strange look. Or at least a look in my direction. I didn't think much of it, for my mind was occupied with other thoughts.

"How could she do that! As if not being able to see her caused Thor enough grief as it is. It would kill him if he heard about this." I muttered under my breath. "I can't believe those two! It makes me so mad that they spend all this time moping! Gosh, I just want to slap the two of them. Maybe I'll start with Thor..." Realizing that I was starting to get a bit loud, I tried to calm down and breath.

"Don't push them too hard, Sif." A voice from behind me remarked, echoing down the hall.

"Fandral don't lecture me about being nice to them, okay!" I shouted as I turned to face that blonde idiot.

"You'd mistake me for Fandral. I'm a little hurt Sif..." His voice was familiar but it was too dark to see who he was. As he stepped out of the shadows I fell back and inadvertently attempted to pull out my weapon.

_Loki..._

This is my first fan fiction, so I'd like some constructive criticism before posting more chapters.


	2. Chapter 2

I'm trying to make the chapters a bit longer

**Chapter 2**

_Why won't they just let me die. Without him I have nothing left to live for. Nothing left to hope for. Nothing... nothing at all._

**Loki**

"Calm down Sif. I only want to talk."

"Get back or I'll kill you where you stand!" She screamed grabbing at the air beside her in search for anything to strike me with.

"And with what do you intend to kill me with?" I said, trying to keep myself from laughing, as she realized she was unarmed and wearing only a nightgown. I stepped back to show that I meant no harm. Before long she gave in and put her hands down, but she remained ready to attack at any time.

"What do you want?" She asked giving me a look full of contempt.

"Like I said before, I only want to talk to you. Is it strange for friends to speak to one another?"

"Friends! Don't kid yourself Loki. We've never been friends and you know it!" She yelled balling up her fists once more, getting prepared to pounce. Once again I made a gesture of good faith and reminded her that I had no reason to hurt her.

"Pity. I always enjoyed your company. You at least were sane, unlike Thor and those three fools. Would you at least accompany me for a walk, perhaps in the gardens or would you prefer..."

"I think were fine where we are!" She interrupted as she tried to tackle me to the ground. I guess no one trusts the God of Mischief. "What!" She exclaimed as she passed right through my body, or I should my projection.

"Good try, but I'm not so foolish as to return to Asgard at this time." Her face turned red with either anger or embarrassment. While she scrambled back to her feet I continued. "I'm just curious. What do you plan on doing about my brother's... condition?"

"I... I don't know what I can do..." She muttered, looking at the ground. "Why? What would you do to help?"

"Are you willing to accept my help?"

She took her time to answer this. Can't blame her for not trusting me. I've played plenty of tricks on Sif in the past, but this time I was serious. "Maybe... Just answer me this one question. Why do you want to help Thor?"

My smiled faded as I pondered on the question. Why indeed should I help him? "I guess... I owe him for not killing me. Besides don't brothers help one another." I answered with a fake smile.

"I don't trust you at all, Loki, but it seems that I have no other option." Sif stated, knowing that she had no clue as to how to proceed in helping Thor.

"Good" I said. "First, I need you to..." I had an idea but before I could voice it Volstagg ran up to us. Before he could see me I hide in the shadows.

"Sif are you alright! I thought I heard yelling." He asked, with crumbs from his dinner, or maybe a midnight snack, still on his beard.

"I..." Sif turned and realized I left for I didn't want to be seen by anyone. "I'm fine. I just stumbled on my nightgown. Thank you though."

"Oh. Okay. Well, I'm going to go back to sleep. You should really try to do the same." Slowly, Volstagg turned and left Sif, who believing I was gone returned to her room as well.

"This better not be another trick..." Sif whispered to herself as she left.

_It looks like Thor still requires the help of his younger brother. But, can I trust Sif to do the job correctly?_

**Darcy**

"Morning doctor..." I said while yawning. The hospital was nice enough to let me and Erik stay overnight, but we couldn't stay in Jane's room because they needed to keep a close eye on her and didn't want us to get in the way. Instead we slept on the seats in the entrance with some blankets and pillows from Jane's house. They weren't comfy but they were more than I deserved.

"Good morning. If you're hungry I can get you some coffee and donuts." The she offered with a warm smile on her face. I learned her name was Dona Blake and that she'd be the one checking in on Jane from time to time.

"I'll have some coffee if it's not too much trouble."

"Sure thing. Wait right here, I'll be back in a few minutes." As she left, I looked around the room to find Erik. He was still sleeping like a baby in the row of seats across the room. I'm glad he was able to come so quickly. I'd still be a nervous wreck had he not showed up.

Now that I was awake I went to the bathroom and put on a change of clothes. As dirty as I, felt a shower would have to wait. Dona had returned by the time I got out of the bathroom with some coffee for us. She motioned to me to sit next to her, so I sat down and picked up my cup. It was warm and comforting, unlike the cold skin of my friend.

"I was wondering, how do you know Jane?" Dona asked while sipping on some her cup of coffee.

"I used to help her with her work as an astrophysicist. I was more or less an assistant for Erik and her. They did most of the work." I said with a chuckle, realizing that I mustn't of been much help.

"Interesting. What were the three of you working on?"

"We were... well... um... looking for wormholes..." I replied awkwardly. I had never been asked about it before, and now that I thought about it, it kind of seemed strange. Dona must have either been as odd as us or just too nice, for she simply smiled and changed the subject when she sensed my hesitation.

"Anyway, would you like to check on Jane with me. I haven't had the time to this morning, and I wouldn't mind some company."

"Sure!" I answered suddenly interested. I was hoping Jane had made some progress overnight, so I followed Dona to the room.

While we walked Dona told me how she met Jane for the first time a few months ago. Jane apparently was sitting out in the cold all night for some reason that she didn't say. I knew why but I guess Jane never told Dona about Thor. The next day Jane had developed a fever from being in the cold for so long, so when she went to the store to buy some medicine she ran into Dona who gave her some advice to deal with her cold. Dona never got to meet the perky Jane I knew and was excited to see her recover.

"I'm sure she'll be in much better shape than... huh! Where is she!" Dona exclaimed. I rushed into the room to find an empty bed and an open window.

_Oh no! Where did she go! I have to find her, I have to make sure she is safe!_

**Fandral**

Things in Asgard had become a tad boring, what with Thor's depression and Sif's new found affection for talking to herself. I honestly had nothing to do half the time. Today I decided to take a long walk through Asgard. I think this is the eleventh time this week.

Usually I enjoy being fawned over by the women in the streets, but it didn't seem like flirting back was the best thing to do nowadays. I smiled and waved but for the most part just kept walking. Soon I found myself at Bifrost. It was making good progress in being fixed, yet it would be awhile until it could be used to travel between the realms. Heimdall, as always, was standing at the edge watching over the worlds.

"How are you today, Heimdall?" I wonder if he ever gets bored...

"Fandral? How strange to see you here. Where are Sif, Hogun, and Volstagg?" He made sure not to mention Thor anymore.

"Hogun and Volstagg are sparring. I'm not sure where Sif went." I answered. It suddenly hit me that Heimdall, of all the people, asked where someone was. That's weird. "Are you okay, Heimdall?"

"Hmm... Lately I've been having trouble finding Sif. It's as if she vanishes every now and then." Clearly he was unhappy about this. It must've reminded him when those Frost Giants got into the palace without him knowing.

"That's odd. I do see her wander off time to time, talking to herself. I wonder if she's going insane..." I said sarcastically, although it would make a lot of sense. I might go crazy as well if something exciting doesn't happen soon.

"Fandral, I have a request. I need you to watch over Sif for me. I believe she may be hiding something." He said giving me a look. I figured it wasn't really a request but more like an order.

"Sure. It'll give me something to do." Looking back at Heimdall as I left to find Sif, he seemed distant as if he wasn't looking at what was in front of him but at something very far away. I decided not to pry and went back to the palace to find Sif.

After asking around I found out she was in the garden talking to herself again. "Maybe if I scare her, she'll come to her senses." I thought. I knew that if she had a problem scaring her wasn't the best solution, but it sounded like a fun idea.

Tip-toeing slowly into the garden making sure I didn't make a sound, I saw Sif. Rather than speaking to herself she was talking to a man. I almost made it close enough to hear them but I tripped on a large glass with a small amount of whiskey still inside. "Dammit Thor!" I yelled as I crashed into a bush.

The two noticed the sound of me tripping and cursing and turned to face me. Before I could say a word the man ran off into the palace. Sif gave me a reproachful look before walking over and asking if I was okay.

"I'm fine. What were you doing here... all alone?" I answered, trying to sound like I didn't see the man.

"I was... just thinking about what to do today. It's been pretty uneventful lately so I thought I should plan out something interesting." She replied falling for my trick.

_Good... Now she'll be more willing to met up with that man again. I'm going to figure out what's going on here..._

**Dona**

I called the police to tell them about Jane and to keep a look out for her. Darcy insisted that she go out and try to find her as well. No one could stop her, so I let her go. Erik had also left to go check around town for Jane, but I had a feeling finding her wouldn't be that easy.

All that hope I had for Jane's recovery suddenly vanished. It never occurred to me just how troubled she may have been.

I went over the security tapes to see when she got out, hoping there would be a clue as to where she went, but I had no such luck. All I saw was a woman who woke up at around 1:00 in the morning and cried for hours until she got up, opened the window, and left.

_That poor girl... I hope someone finds her before it's too late..._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_How could those doctors help me? How can anyone help me! If they wanted to help they should have left me to die!_

**Sif**

"I don't know if he's just a pest or actually thinks he can act like he didn't see you." I said to Loki. Fandral often thinks he is more clever than he truly is. I do want to give him credit though, for he has tricked me in the past. Just not very often.

"Nevertheless, we should be more careful when we meet." Loki continued to constantly check around to see if anyone was there.

"Why do you care about being seen when Heimdall has probably been watching us?" I figured Heimdall knew about our meetings and decided that they weren't worth stopping.

He gave me a mischievous look as he explained how his sorcery allowed him to block Heimdall from watching us. I was never very good at magic, or interested for that matter. I simply nodded as he continued to talk about his spells with pride. Although he was worried that Heimdall may be catching on, so we had to act fast. It was kind of funny seeing Loki get all excited; he was usually so quiet.

When he finished his lengthy explanation, he turned to me and asked "Did you find the key to my room?" Thor had taken the key last year when someone broke into Loki's room and tried to destroy his belongings.

"Yes. It actually wasn't very hard to get. Thor was too drunk to notice when I walked into his room." I said with a grin. He must of found this amusing, for he laughed a little at the thought of it.

"Wonderful. There's a book in there that has a purple and red spine. I marked the cover so I wouldn't mistake it for another book. Hopefully it wasn't destroyed." He said, frowning at the idea of someone tearing apart his books. "I'll contact you again when you find it."

"Why can't you help me look for it?" I replied, angry that he expected a lady to go digging around in his room.

"I'd love to spend more time with you, but I have a feeling Fandral is closing in on us. Don't worry. I'm sure it won't be... too difficult to find. Till next time..." Loki vanished and I was alone in the forest. At least not for long.

_Why must Fandral be so annoying. This will take days if he doesn't stop prying..._

**Erik**

"Hello, Dona. Are you okay?"

It took her a while, but she finally looked at me. Part of me wished she hadn't.

She was distressed that she lost her patient and it showed. Her eyes were less bright, her warm smile was gone, and her hair was messier than I had ever seen. I suspected that she spent all night looking for Jane with Darcy, who passed out shortly after returning to the hospital. Darcy looked even worse.

"Hello Erik. I'm... not doing so well. I can't shake the feeling that something terrible happened to Jane. I should've been watching her more carefully..." She said with a tear running down her cheek. It pained me to see her like this.

"I'm sure she's fine. The police are doing everything they can to find her." I'd gotten used to reassuring Darcy that now I just seemed repetitive. Do I truly think Jane's okay? Or, have I just been saying that. No, I can't think like this. I have to stay positive. Not for myself but for Darcy and Dona.

"I hope they find her soon." Dona stated as she walked over the front desk and blew her nose on a tissue. The other doctors were kind enough to watch over her patients while she was looking for Jane. So, she spent most of her time thinking about her. This only made her feel worse. The trash can was stuffed with tissues and it had been emptied a couple hours ago.

"If you want we can keep looking for her while Darcy sleeps." I offered.

She smiled at me and nodded. While she went to get her things, I started the car and thought of all the places Jane could have gone. Darcy and Dona had checked every place I could think of, so neither of us knew where to start.

We just drove, hoping that we could catch a glimpse of Jane.

_Where are you Jane? You may not believe it, but there are plenty of people here who care about you. Please be safe..._

**Fandral**

"Sif? It's a surprise seeing you here." I have to be clever and make sure she doesn't trick me.

"Oh, really? And why are you here, hmm?" Obviously not pleased that I showed up.

"I was... going to... pick flowers for a lady I met yesterday. Gorgeous girl. Might just be the one for me." I said smiling, trying my best to daydream about a nonexistent person.

"Oh! She must be a remarkable person to catch your eye. What's her name."

"Um... her name was... uh.. Hrist, yup, Hrist. Beautiful eyes, long black hair, and... um... a pretty, purple dress." Hah! This is too easy. Why in the world did Loki get so much credit for lying? I could do this all day. "What about you why are you here." I said trying to change the subject.

"Oh no" Sif said as she began to walk towards the palace. She had a sly look in her eyes. "I want to know all about this... what was her name again?"

"It was..." Crap... "Uh... Mist." That sounds about right.

"What a lovely name." She said chuckling to herself for some reason."Tell me more about her. How did the two of you meet?..."

She had me answer question after question about this girl. It was getting difficult for me to make up so many lies. I usually just told the truth about everything. Maybe this isn't as easy as I thought. Now and then Sif laughed a little at my answers. I started to get the feeling I had slipped up somewhere. No matter how hard I tried changing the subject was impossible.

"Anyway... Alicia is just an amazing lady..." I said. "Can't we talk about something else now?"

"But she sounds so interesting. I'd like to meet later then, but before that do you mind helping me with something?" Sif asked. I hadn't realized it before, but we were inside the palace standing right in front of Loki's room. What in the world could she need from here?

"Uh... sure, I guess."

"Good then. The Valkyrie, Hrist, asked me to find a book Loki had taken from her a while back." Hrist... that name sounds familiar. But where did I here that... "You check the... AH!"

Sif's scream pulled me out of my thoughts and I found myself in a room that looked like it had been hit by a tornado. There were books and trinkets scattered here and there. Piles of papers with odd symbols lined the walls. I was surprised; I figured Loki's room would be perfectly clean. I wondered where he slept, for his bed was taken up by bottles of strange liquids and throwing knives. Sif, having tripped over a book, began to rant about how she would have slapped Loki if she knew how messy his room was. Why is it with Sif that she always solves her problems by...

My thought was cut off when a hand smacked me across the face. "What are you staring at!" Sif said as she flattened out her dress, her face bright red. "You should help a lady up when she falls, not just look at her!"

"Oh, sorry..." I muttered while rubbing my cheek.

"Humph... men... Whatever, just start looking for a book with a purple and red spine. It should have a mark on the front."

We spent hours looking for that godforsaken book. I started to think it may not even exist, until Sif exclaimed with glee "Finally! Would it kill Loki to be a bit more organized. Next time I see him I'll give him one Hel of scolding!"

"When do you see Loki?"

"Um! I'm don't... I was just talking. Don't mind me." She replied, trying to avoid my question.

"Riiiight... Sif just what are you..."

"Hey!" She interrupted. "Let's go see this Alicia you kept talking about."

"Who?" Alicia? Who in the world is...! "Oh yeah Alicia! Sure... I... I mean no, no she's busy right now." Oh gosh, not this again...

"Nonsense. We're going to go see her right now."

"Actually, Sif, I have a go now. I promised...uh... Volstagg I'd… cook him lunch." Before she could ask any more questions I ran out of the room and hide behind a wall nearby. As Sif left she looked around to see if I was still there. Judging that I was gone, Sif walked off to her room making sure that no one saw the book she was holding.

_Why can't I lie like Loki could... Loki... No it couldn't have been him... could it? I should go ask Heimdall..._

**Thor**

It's been a while since I've been in the throne room. Nowadays I liked spending my time in my room or the gardens. Anywhere I can be alone.

"Father you wished to see me?" The All-Father looked down at me from his throne, his eyes full of disappointment. His only son left reduced to a hopeless mess. I tried not to look so worthless by standing up straight and looking directly at him rather than the ground.

"Son, we need to speak. This recent behavior is unfit for the future King of Asgard. Have you gained nothing from your experiences in Midgard!"

"I gained Father, I truly did, but I lost as well."

"What could you have possibly that would leave you in such a state!" He questioned.

"I lost Jane!" I yelled, wondering if he had forgotten her already.

"Jane! You might as well give up on her. No human with as little courage as she deserves to be an Asgardian!" He seemed angry that I even mentioned her. Why? Before he was impressed by her.

"How dare you speak of her like that!" I screamed in her defense.

"How dare I! She was too weak to wait for you and tried to kill herself!" He retorted, his voice like thunder in the empty room.

"...What..."... Jane...tried to... kill herself. But why? It doesn't make any sense.

"I'll go to Hel before I let my child fall for someone as pathetic as her!" I was too shocked to hear the rest of his words. Jane would never have done something like that. No, Jane wouldn't give up that easily. Would she? I had to confirm this with Heimdall. Without a word I left my Father who sat in his throne with his face buried in his hands, his body shaking with grief.

_No... no... I can't believe it... I won't believe it._


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry about taking so long to put up a new chapter. I've been neglecting my school and driver's ed stuff, so I have to do it all before school starts. Oh well, on with the story..._

**Chapter 4**

_Where were you, Thor? I needed you... No... no.. no no no NO!... He left me... stop thinking about him..._

**Loki**

Why am I helping Thor? I should hate for who he is and what he's done, but I can't bring myself to hurt him anymore. Is it because we're brothers? No, no we're not brothers. Not even close. I don't understand why I continue to help. I don't get it... why.. why! "WHY!"

"Loki are you okay?" Sif approached me with an inquisitive look. How long had she been there? She slowly walked over and sat next to me. Patting my shoulder, even though her hand went right threw it, Sif reassured me that it was okay, not that she knew what she was reassuring me for. "I brought the book you wanted. I hope you don't mind that I looked in it."

"No, that's fine."

"What exactly is it for?" She asked.

I responded, trying to make it as simple as I could. "Well you see, I found this book a long time ago when visiting other realms. It contains methods to travel through the worlds without the need of Bifrost. It's complicated, but I've done it before."

"When the Frost giants nearly stole the Casket?" She questioned, with a look mixed with anger for my actions but pity for my reasons. Sif was being strangely nice me lately. She never cared for me before. I wonder what changed. It's nice to see her out of her armor once in a while. One can actually see the feminine side of her. "Hellooooo! Loki?"

I look away before she could see my face turn red. "Sorry, I didn't mean to stare... Anyway, yes that was one of the times I've done this. The method involves drawing two symbols upon the ground, one being the entrance and the other, the exit. I've already drawn a few exit symbols in some of the realms, including Midgard. You just need to draw one here and say the... 'magic words' while standing on it."

"Magic words?"

"Depending on what you say, you may end up in any of the realms that have the exit symbol I've drawn. Open the book to the thirty-first page, that's where the entrance symbol is..." It took her quite a while before the her drawing was acceptable. But, she never gave up or even showed any sign of it, aside from throwing the book at me in frustration a couple times. Sif smiled as she worked, for she finally had hope. Her smile... so pretty.

"There is that good enough?" She asked with a hint of irritation. I had made her remake the symbol at least fourteen times.

"That should be fine."

"Wonderful! What page are the words on?" Her excitement was funny. I had to laugh a little. She cast an angry gaze at me.

"Hehe... Sorry, there should be a bookmark on that page."

"Oh here it is." She stated with a grin.

"Read the line two up from the bottom, it's marked in red." Sif walked over to the symbol she'd drawn and stood on top of it. "Do you need help reading it?" The words were a little difficult to pronounce.

"No I got this." She replied confidently. As she spoke something was amiss.

Huh? That didn't sound right. Before I could speak Sif was gone, leaving only the book behind.

_I wonder where she ended up..._

**Heimdall**

"Thor? How surprising..." I whispered to myself as the blonde boy ran towards me.

"Heimdall, tell me what happened to Jane! Did she really try to..." He couldn't finish his sentence. He looked completely crushed. How sad...

"...kill herself? Yes. She swallowed a large number of small objects from a bottle and shortly passed out. Her friend, the one with glasses, was able to find her before she died and took her to an infirmary."

Thor collapsed onto the ground when he heard the information. He was both joyful that she survived but still horrified at her actions. He put his face in between his knees and thanked fate for letting her live.

"Thor, stand up strong, you are a son of Odin." He looked at me with grief before returning to his feet.

He took a deep breath to regain his composure before speaking. " Is she okay now?"

"I cannot say. Not long ago she left the infirmary in the middle of the night. She wanders the streets alone, now. Her friends are looking for her, but to no avail." I wanted to sympathize with Thor, but he had to realize that he must be strong. Sympathy would only encourage him to be more depressed.

"I...I.. have to see her." He said to himself, over and over again, as he paced back and forth. "When will Bifrost be ready?" He should know that travel by Bifrost was hopeless at this time.

"Not for a while... I believe that there'd be many years before Bifrost can be of use." Before Thor could begin to complain I spoke again. "If I were you, I'd find Fandral. He's been following Sif around lately. She seems to be up to something, for I can't see her time to time. Maybe she has an answer to your problem."

Hope began to return to the man as he smiled. I hadn't seen him smile for the last two years. "Thank you Heimdall." He said as he ran straight back to the palace.

_Hmm... even if he finds and helps Jane, will Odin allow her to join him in Asgard?_

**Fandral**

"Where did they go?" I could have sworn they were here just a moment ago. How did they disappear? They didn't see me...

"Hey Fandral!"

"Ahh!" I turned to face the person who snuck up on me and found Thor. "What are you doing here!" I can't believe he's not drunk right now! Or maybe, he is...

"Heimdall told me to find you. Do you know where Sif is?" He asked, the shaking in his voice betraying his calm demeanor. "I need her help."

Why is everyone acting so weird? I can't stand being out of the loop. "What do you need her help for?" He looked at me for awhile, deciding whether or not to tell me. C'mon! How long have we been friends and he has to think about trusting me! Thor sighed and told me everything Heimdall told him. I couldn't wrap my head around it all. "Are you sure that's the same Jane?"

"Of course! She must miss me as much as I miss her. Now tell me where Sif is." He demanded angrily.

"I'd like to, but Loki and her disap..." Realizing what I just told him and looked to see his face. His eyes were wide with disbelief.

"Are you saying you saw Loki... and didn't tell me!" He grabbed me by the collar and shook me around. I felt like a kid all over again. Always getting yelled at for misbehaving.

"I was going to eventually! Thor, put me down! I'm a grown man!" I yelled while held in the air.

"Fandral, I will beat you if you ever keep something like this from me again!" He shouted as he let go of my shirt. "Humph. I was hoping to see him again and convince to stay in Asgard, but it seems he's up to no good again."

"Are you sure?" I asked, brushing my shirt and fixing my collar. "Sif seemed willing to work with him and went through a lot of trouble to keep him a secret."

"I doubt he wants to help after what happened." He had a sad look as he remembered when he watched his brother fall into the abyss. "Oh well, no time to think about him now. Where were they last?"

"Right there in the clearing." I pointed to an empty area amongst the trees where a book lay in the center of some strange marking. We stepped into the area to find no trace of Sif or Loki. I wondered if my mind had played tricks on me, but then Thor said he had seen the marking before, somewhere in Midgard along with another one somewhat similar to it.

"This is probably Loki's book. How did they get this? I thought I took the key." Thor wondered as he patted himself down to see if anything else had been stolen.

"You were probably unconscious from drinking too much when they took it." He looked away to hide his embarrassment. "Hey there's a bookmark on a page." We stood on the symbol as Thor opened the book to the page that had been marked. " Hmm... these words are strange. He marked this one." I gave it my best attempt to pronounce the red line. I realized I probably should have kept my mouth shut.

_Oh my gosh! What's happening? What are all these lights?_

**Sif**

At one moment I was in the forests of Asgard and the next I was being thrown across the worlds to a new place. Magic lights surrounded and embraced me as I traveled. At first the experience was exhilarating, but it slowly lost its flare when my head began to hurt. Luckily, it finished before I barfed up my lunch.

"Where is this? It's so cold. Everything looks ruined.." Snow and rocks were everywhere around me. The land was riddled with jagged formations that didn't seem natural. I wondered where I was and what caused the place to be this way. Perhaps the exit symbol was in the north, or at least I thought...

"Who is this?" A voice questioned, although I doubt the question was directed to me.

"She looks like an Asgardian." Another voice answered. This one was to my right instead of behind me.

"Maybe she can tell us why our world was nearly destroyed."

Frost giants had surrounded me with faces full of hatred. I was unarmed and had no means to defend myself...

"LOKI!"

_It was all just a trick to send me here, huh... I'll kill him if I ever see him again!_


End file.
